What to do with an older wheelhouse

[Nordern]

I have a 2010 16' Ice Cabin in great condition with the exception of the frame.  It is rusted out in a few spots and no longer road worthy.  Everything else is fine, new tires, 20k Suburban, stove/oven etc.  Is there a market for older wheelhouses where someone wants to salvage all the good stuff?  Or maybe someone handy enough with a welder to get it back in shape?  Thanks in advance for the help.

 

[Big Dave2]

On 9/1/2021 at 6:26 AM, Nordern said:

I have a 2010 16' Ice Cabin in great condition with the exception of the frame.  It is rusted out in a few spots and no longer road worthy.  Everything else is fine, new tires, 20k Suburban, stove/oven etc.  Is there a market for older wheelhouses where someone wants to salvage all the good stuff?  Or maybe someone handy enough with a welder to get it back in shape?  Thanks in advance for the help.

 

 

That looks like a nice house? Where is the damage?

[rl_sd]

Yes.... need some pics of the frame rust

[Nordern]

I'll get some posted.

 

Edited September 8, 2021 by Nordern
Added photos

[leech~~]

Try these folks out. Looks like they have a few ice house in their fenced yard right now.  

 

Crystal Welding

Address:17601 113th Ave N, Maple Grove, MN

Phone:(763) 428-8281

Business Hours

Monday – Friday: 8AM – 5PM

[1lessdog]

That's a shame, nice house still. If it was mine I would put on blocks and take a sawsall and cut all the fasterns that hold the walls to the frame. Every 6 to 12 inches put a wedge in. I think I could cut the walls from the frame in a few hrs. Then find a frame same size. It should be easy to find a frame. Once I had the frame I would drill holes in the frame for galvanized carriage bolt. Once the frame is in place, drill up thru the floor. Now you have to open up the bottom of the walls to fasten the frame to the wall.

 

Once the frame is removed, you maybe able to fix the frame. I would think a person could do everything if you had the frame in a weekend.

[Nordern]

Thanks guys.  I had a welder out to look it over and the entire frame is to the point of no return.  I was thinking of maybe converting it to a skid house but I have not seen anyone do that yet.  Or possibly get another drop down trailer and remount it.  But a 10+ years old I really don't want to sink a lot of $$ into it.  Just a shame because other than the frame its in good shape.

[Wanderer]

8 minutes ago, Nordern said:

Thanks guys.  I had a welder out to look it over and the entire frame is to the point of no return.  I was thinking of maybe converting it to a skid house but I have not seen anyone do that yet.  Or possibly get another drop down trailer and remount it.  But a 10+ years old I really don't want to sink a lot of $$ into it.  Just a shame because other than the frame its in good shape.

Find out how much it would cost to put another frame under it before walking away.  Wheelhouses don’t come cheap these days.  It might be worth the effort/expense.  Good luck!

[rl_sd]

31 minutes ago, Wanderer said:

Find out how much it would cost to put another frame under it before walking away.  Wheelhouses don’t come cheap these days.  It might be worth the effort/expense.  Good luck!

 

I agree w/ Wanderer. Having a miltona or similar frame built could be the best option as long as you can get the rest of the house to stay together during the transfer. The frame is definitely the base compent from which everything is built from. It will take some temporary internal framing and bracing, but is doable. Truthfully, it sounds like a fun project to me! As far as skid houses go.... I guess that would be an option - but only if you have a place to store it on shore during the summer. Trying to get it loaded onto a trailer would be  a bear.

 

I am still trying to grasp how a 10 yr old fish house could rust through like that. It is hard to tell, but do you know what gauge tubing they were using? I have seen rusty frames, but nothing nearly that far gone. Is there much rust on the side rails where the wheel pivots are located?

Edited September 14, 2021 by rl_sd

[1lessdog]

You can have a frame built for about 2400.00, give or take 100.00 or 200.00. a 8 x 16 frame should be easy to find. In a weekend you will be ready to put it on the ice. Where is the house located? I would be interested in it if your not going to fix it.

[Nordern]

Well guys thanks for all the advise.  I did find a guy and he repaired the frame in a better than new condition.  He also showed me how many of the frame tubes were not capped so going down the road salt spray got into the tubes and caused much of the damage.  I guess these early models were still a learning curve for this manufacturer.

 

 

 

[Wanderer]

Excellent!  
 

Thanks for the follow up!

[leech~~]

On 10/28/2021 at 11:31 AM, Nordern said:

Well guys thanks for all the advise.  I did find a guy and he repaired the frame in a better than new condition.  He also showed me how many of the frame tubes were not capped so going down the road salt spray got into the tubes and caused much of the damage.  I guess these early models were still a learning curve for this manufacturer.

 

 

 

 

Could you post a few pictures of some of the repair areas that they did like the front tongue broke at the frame. 

[Nordern]

 

 

Took her on a highway test drive and pulls beautifully.......

Edited November 16, 2021 by Nordern
Added Photos

[leech~~]

22 minutes ago, leech~~ said:

Nice hope it holds up for you for a few more years!  

The extra gussets were a good idea.  

 

[papadarv]

Built my 6.5 x 12' in 2011 using a 1979 6.5 x 8 pop-up camper frame and added 4 ft to back end and front V with new iron. Acheived  10 years use this past January when the new iron rusted out inside to outside. Wife said she was going to torch it due to all the time I spend in it. At 77 decided it was too much effort for me to rebuild so I put it on hsolist for a couple hundred less than my 2011 build cost hopping some younger person may see value to rebuild. I did a minimal weld fix on the broken wheel assembly and broken spring and included a 19k BTU Suburban furnace, 1000 watt generator, and several other items. 2 hours after posting a younger man showed up and bought the wheelhouse offering asking price even after telling him to make an offer. Great to see it back on the ice this season.

 

 

 

[leech~~]

Hard to see a lot of good memories go.

 

Now, don't you have a new snow machine to finish?

[papadarv]

12 hours ago, leech~~ said:

Hard to see a lot of good memories go.

 

Now, don't you have a new snow machine to finish?

I do. Progress has been really slow. 4 days week to Lab, infusion, treatment really cuts into build time. With low internal oxygen level  fatigue slows one down a bit.

[Wanderer]

Hope things start looking WAY up for you soon @papadarv!

[smurfy]

32 minutes ago, Wanderer said:

Hope things start looking WAY up for you soon @papadarv!

same here.......love watching your inventions grow to something real!!!!!!!!!

[Mike89]

agreed with the others!!   stay strong!! 

[Hawg]

I had a 6x8 like that. Built a trailer under it, re sided it a couple times, added a V, painted it numerous times inside and out, and a ton of other “upgrades”. Finally weighed about the same as a cent truck! I loved that shack.